1x. What actions consistent with the heroic motivation do the heroes take that bring them into conflict with a looming hostility inherent within the setting?

Be the player first:Encounter: pursuit Place: La Piazza Avanti, late eveningUnable to stop thinking about the silver ear pendant found in the tiny wizard's tower in the Northern Wilds, Guglio spends a great deal of time in Avanti attempting to gather rumors about the rest of the silver Dwarven Moon Goddess bust and the wizard who once lived in the tower. His obsessive, nearly lovesick inquiries about the bust lead most of the townsfolk to conclude that the dwarf is not quite right in the head. As for the wizard of the tiny tower, Guglio gathers three rumors: [Story Cubes: crown/monkey/shaking a present] 1) He was the royal mage of the Old Continent banished for an affair with the realm's queen; 2) He was a jester who read a magical tome, gained amazing spell casting powers, and then went bonkers; 3) He was a master wizard who sought the gift of the perfect wife through the ritual sacrifice of all of his magical powers.

Be the GM next: Story Cube: keyholeAs Guglio shares the wizard rumors with Orsini, Don Pantaloni, and Sister Ysabel in the piazza, the friends are attacked by three warriors who tell them that Guglio has gone too far prying into the secrets of others. The warriors, unrefined in appearance, are serious about their threat and charge forth to kill!

Be the player once more: The melee is a quick one as the warriors are clearly intent on killing or being killed no matter how eloquently Ysabel tries to allay the aggression. Orsini and Guglio forcefully take down two of the attackers, while Don Pantaloni's Color Spray spell sends the third fleeing the piazza. Orsini tries to capture the fleeing warrior to interrogate him, but the man disappears into the night.

2 What overtly troubling event remotely tied to the results of Question 1 occurs, confirming that something seriously adverse to the heroic motivation is afoot?

Be the GM first:Story Cube: gears Encounter: intrigue Place: La Piazza Avanti, the next morningThe next day as Orsini and Count Cabravino try to sort out what happened the night before, the Count notices that Stefano the clockmaker has not opened his shop in the piazza yet. Stefano is an odd but harmless old gentleman known for his punctuality and his sometimes overly-inspired attempts to make a reliable timepiece. The closed shop and the missing clockmaker and his wife concern the Count.

Be the PCs next:Orsini and his friends try to get into Stefano's shop to discover what has happened to the clockmaker and his wife. Guglio fails to open the locks on the door or shutters, all of which appear to be much more sophisticated than any others in the piazza. Orsini cannot bash down the door or pull off the shutters, either. Using her divine powers, Ysabel detects no magic at work. Meanwhile, Don Pantaloni tries to remember if Stefano had any cute daughters that might need rescuing.

Be the GM once more:Count Cabravino assumes that Stefano is as eccentric about his home security as he is about some of his clock designs. He tells Orsini to wait until the afternoon before doing anything drastic to enter the clock shop. Perhaps Stefano and his wife will be back by then.

3. What elements of the results of Questions 1 and 2 suddenly get twisted in a surprising manner, increasing the danger to the heroic motivation?

Be the GM first:Story Cube: eye Encounter: betrayal Place: La Piazza Avanti, later that afternoonOrsini and his friends are later summoned to the piazza. There, they find Count Cabravino, a crowd of serious-looking townsfolk, and, surprisingly, the warrior who had escaped the night before. The warrior accuses Guglio of murdering Stefano and his wife in an insane rage when they didn't give him information about the bust of the Dwarven Moon Goddess. The warrior states that he and his two deceased comrades had been hired by the Merchant Princess herself to keep an eye on Stefano who was an old friend of her father. The warrior produces an official seal of the Merchant Princess to prove his standing. He further states that, when he and his colleagues tried to apprehend Guglio, Orsini and the others attacked them! The townsfolk, already convinced that Guglio is two flumphs shy of a colony, call for the dwarf's immediate arrest.

Be the PCs next: Ysabel senses that the warrior's lies are motivated by extreme loyalty, not evil, and whispers this to the others. Orsini reacts accordingly, stating that, as a loyal peacekeeper for the Count, he always is on the side of justice. Don Pantaloni then gives to the townsfolk a rousing speech about the loyalty owed to one who is accused, defending his friend by waxing poetic about how the truth can only be found within a person's heart, even within the heart of one honor-bound to lie.

Be the GM once more:The warrior shudders after the speech, and the crowd seems less certain of the guilt of Guglio. The Count issues to Orsini a simple directive - before Avanti has a problem with the powerful Merchant Princess, Guglio must be proven innocent...immediately!